


Birds of Paradise and Prey

by HOMOGRIMOIRE



Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Getting Together, M/M, fairgameweek2020, minor references to sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:42:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23211961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HOMOGRIMOIRE/pseuds/HOMOGRIMOIRE
Summary: Day 4: Birds / Soulmates ... Birds!With the world saved from the threat of Salem and the gods, Clover and Qrow decided to settle down, and officially get together.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Fair Game Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665481
Comments: 1
Kudos: 27





	Birds of Paradise and Prey

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 is here! The song is listened to for this fic was Early Bird from Earth Girl Arjuna, though I never finished watching it so rip :\ (Also, the lyrics seem to be a made up language, so no real meaning in them besides the tone they convey) Overall, I think the song is kinda fitting. I just really wanted a song with "bird" in it. Anyways, not too much to say this time, so enjoy!

Clover was standing at the door of his and Qrow’s apartment. He was nervous, despite all the planning he had done, and even getting some advice from Tai, Ruby, and Yang. And despite the nervousness, he was also excited. Has finally going to ask Qrow out. He would have liked to have done it sooner, but the war against Salem had taken up so much time, and even after, there wasn’t much time to do so. The brother gods of light and dark hadn’t really done the world any favors, only taking care of Ozpin and Salem before abandoning the world for good, as well as destroying the relics, their purpose fulfilled. This meant that grimm still lurked about. And without anything making any demands of them, they became more erratic and dangerous. As a result, people had to adjust to a more overtly dangerous world. Of course, the people of Remnant soon adjusted to the chaotic world and society stabilized once more, for they all had each other to lean on and turn to. 

The dark continent where the chaotic grimm arose from an otherwise calm sludge had become even more inaccessible. The grimm were a problem that could not be solved in their lifetimes, but they all accepted that. They saved the world from Salem and the brother gods. They had done their share in protecting the world. Some of them continued traveling, paving the path for future generations to follow in hopes that they would dispel of the grimm entirely. Some decided to settle down a little. 

Qrow was one of these people. He felt that he had spent too much of his life moving from place to place, with so little certainty. He wasn’t old, but he certainly wasn’t getting younger, so he decided to settle down as a teacher at Signal and help protect the place from grimm when needed. Naturally, Clover followed him and got a job at Signal as well, thanks to his Atlesian experience and Qrow vouching for him. After his near death experience in the tundra, he quit the military and joined Qrow and his kids. During all this, they had grown closer and closer. Yet, despite some sexual encounters here and there, neither had made the move to take it a step forward, both feeling that there was too much else to do. With enough time spent contemplating, he knocked on the door. After a moment, Qrow opened the door, surprised to find Clover standing there instead of just having used his key.

“Hey, Qrow. I was wondering if you would like to make me the luckiest man alive, and go out with me?” With a slight bow, he revealed the flowers he had hidden behind his back, suggested by Yang, with some pointers from Tai. Most noticeable in the bouquet were some flowers that had orange petals, almost feather-like in shape, that jutted out in various directions, with a few slender blue petals scattered here and there. They were certainly the focus of the bouquet, and had caught the attention of the man he was asking out as well. However, with Clover right in front of him, they would only hold Qrow’s attention for so long. As Qrow looked back at him, he gave one of his signature winks. 

“I think you know the answer to that, Lucky Charm.” Qrow smiled back at Clover as he graciously took the flowers. “Well, I’m guessing you already had the whole day planned out, so lead the way.” Qrow held out his hand, and Clover took it, intertwining their fingers. Briefly, Qrow wondered if it all was a bit too much just to ask him out, but a voice that sounded like Clover’s told him that he deserved nothing less. After spending so much time with Clover, building up his confidence in himself and learning to control his semblance, he wasn’t going to argue with that. He knew he deserved to have good things, and knew that this wasn’t just something he wanted, but something Clover wanted too. 

Their first stop on their first official date was Qrow’s favorite place to eat, which he learned from Tai. It was a quiet little cafe, owned by a couple, that he liked to frequent. It was away from the mainstream area, therefore attracting less attention to itself and its patrons, and served good drinks and food. As such, it had a solid following of some loyal customers, Qrow included.

“After you.” Clover said as he opened the door for Qrow.

“Ever the gentleman. What did I do to deserve you?” Qrow asked sarcastically.

“Be you.” Clover replied earnestly, earning a light blush across Qrow’s cheeks and a small smile from the man.

“Ah, Qrow! Nice to see you so soon again.” the cashier-owner asked in a thick accent. “Aye, and look at you! First you tell me you quit alcohol, and now you bring boyfriend who give flowers! I’m happy for you. I tell Lyre, so they give you congrats next time. They be happy for you too.” From embarrassment, Qrow’s light blush grew into a much more visible blush. “So, what want? I tell this first date, so I give half off.” they said. 

“Really? Thanks, I appreciate it.” Clover said. “Lucky us, huh Qrow?” He gave Qrow a light elbow jab as he smirked.

“That never gets old.” Qrow laughed. “But, yeah, thanks Gray. I’ll take a velvet cake. And you, Clover?”

“Hmm,” he contemplated, “ooh, I’ll try the shamrock milkshake.”

“Going on a cannibalistic streak now are we?” Qrow joked.

“I might be.” Clover said with a sly look as he slayed alon.

“I better watch out then, you might eat me next.” Qrow replied smugly, knowing very well what he said.

“Qrow!” was all Clover could say as his face began to flush. However, the cashier-owner just laughed.

“Aye Qrow, you always make me laugh. But don’t worry. Is mint. Is just called shamrock cause I put shamrock on top. Aye, I go make food, and pay me later so I can say goodbyes.” With that, they walked to the back of the kitchen, and Qrow and Clover found a comfortable place to sit. They talked and joked and laughed about the things their students were doing, as well as the things their kids were up to. They were so caught up talking to each other, they almost didn’t notice Gray come out with their sweets.

“Here you are. I gave couple’s cake and couple’s cup size. I know how much couples like to share with each other.” They said as they placed the sweets between Qrow and Clover. “Now, I be in kitchen. Just call if need be. Enjoy! Oh, and be careful. He likes his cakes too much” they warned Clover as they chuckled.

“Thank you, and I will.” Clover said as they left. “They’re pretty nice, huh?”

“Mhmm.” Qrow replied, mouth full of cake. “I first took Ruby and Yang here way back when. I liked it here, so I kept coming back, even without them. And well, you see how Gray is, their spouse Lyre is pretty much the same. Its hard to be distant with both of them. And me and Lyre got along pretty well too, being named after birds and all.” 

“Sounds nice. Can't really get anything like that in Atlas.”

“I can imagine.”

“Now, Give me some of that cake, I wanna see how it tastes!”

“Mnm-mnm,” Qrow said as he shook his head and swallowed, “my cake.” He then licked it. “I licked it, its mine.” He pulled the plate closer to him.

“Qrow, you know that's not going to stop me.” Qrow gave in. He couldn’t argue with that, all things considered.

“Fine, but only because I love you.” Qrow hadn’t realized what he said, at first, but Clover did. By the time Qrow realized, Clover was barely coming to terms with it.

“I love you too Qrow.” Clover said out loud. Then, he had an idea that made him blush. “Since we love each other, and we’re on a date, how about we do some couples on a date stuff?” He grabbed his spoon and scooped up some cake, and held it up to Qrow. He got the idea and got a piece of cake too. They moved their spoons towards each other’s mouths, albeit a bit awkwardly. Despite the awkwardness, it was undoubtedly intimate, both of them blushing furiously. 

“That, went nicer than I thought it would. I can see why people do it.” Clover admitted. 

“You mean _you_ , poster boy of Atlas Academy, never did things like this?” Qrow was surprised. He was sure Clover would have been drowning in these kinds of dates left and right.

“Nope. It’s pretty lonely at the top, you know? Well, it was lonely. Luckily, a good luck charm waltzed into my life and made it not so lonely.” Qrow blushed as Clover lovingly gazed at him.

“Then at least we can try to work out all this sappy couple junk together.” Qrow said as they were both still blushing. Qrow could hardly bring himself to look at Clover though, else he would explode because of emotions. So, they worked through all that sappy junk, getting the hang of it more and more. It was filled with laughs and jokes and sickeningly sweet moments. Once they finished their sweets, they paid and thanked Gray, and went on their way back home to their shared apartment. However, their perfect night would have a small bump in it. This bump wasn’t actually small, it was Nevermore sized. A Nevermore was spotted in the distance by a nearby sector, and Qrow and Clover, being the closest huntsmen, were notified through their scrolls and made haste.

By the time they arrived, they could see the Nevermore in the distance. Wanting to stop its advance as soon as possible, they were driven to it, along with one other younger huntsman who was also nearby. Up close, they could see how large the grimm had grown with nothing to control it. Its colors had also dulled, much like the other grimm. The exception to this was their glowing red accents, which made it seem more vivid than it had before. Fortunately, the younger huntsman was an archer, so they instructed him to attack from below as they fought up close. They all climbed up a tree, readying to attack. When the time was right, Qrow transformed, grabbing the Nevermore’s attention. They always hated Qrow in his animal forme. With the giant bird distracted, Clover launched himself upward, hooking onto it and landing on its back. Then Qrow turned back into a human, letting the Nevermore return its attention to the man on its back. Clover had already entangled the bird in his line, but it still trashed about wildly as Clover wrangled with it so Qrow could deliver a deadly blow. 

However, it was smarter than it looked, as it had managed to angle itself so that Clover would be hit by a tree, and thrown off. He landed in a clearing, half his aura gone from the fall. It landed in the center of the clearing, ready to play with its prey. However, a shot from another side of the clearing got its attention.

Clover could see that it was Qrow who fired after it. But, it did not care, until he transformed. However, it did not dart after him like they usually did. It kept looking at the two men, as if torn between some difficult decision. It screeched as it looked back and forth, ready to pull out its feathers. Thankfully, the young archer fired a lightning fast and powerful shot that turned it to dust as the arrow pierced its head. 

“Are you two alright!?” he shouted as he ran towards them. 

“I took a hit, but I’ll be fine!” Clover shouted back as Qrow helped him up and handed him his weapon. He knew he would be feeling that in the morning.

“What in the world is that? Everyone know you're one of the greatest huntsmen and can turn into a bird, Mr. Branwen, but _that_ isn’t something anyone can do.”

“To tell you the truth kid, I don't know. It should have chased after me.”

“Why, do they hate birds or something?”

“No.” Qrow answered. “Just me when I’m a crow.”

“Odd indeed.” The young huntsman rubbed his chin as he wondered what caused what had just transpired. It clicked when he saw the flower tucked into Clover’s green vest. “With all due respect, sir, I think you might be wrong.” He pointed at the flower, which prompted Clover to pluck it out for them to examine. It’s resemblance to a bird was undeniable. Apparently, now that they were free from Salem’s control, that hatred for Qrow’s crow forme was amplified, and was extended to anything avian in appearance that wasn’t a fellow grimm.

“Did we just break the grimm’s mind?” Qrow asked, baffled as they all focused on the flower.

“I think we just did.” responded Clover, amazed.

“‘Birds of Paradise Conquer Birds of Prey.’ That’ll be quite the headline.” said the young man, to no one in particular.

“Looks like my god luck charm saved my life again.” Clover teased as he gave Qrow a chaste kiss on the cheek.

“No problem babe.” With a wink and finger guns pointed in his direction, Clover couldn’t help but laugh a little. He could see that Qrow was blushing just a little. He was glad Qrow came into his life. He brought so much love into it.

“Well, we should get going. It’s getting late.” said the archer. “I can take care of the report. Just tell me your comments on the ride back and I’ll make sure to include them.”

“You sure, kid?” Despite the huntsmen’s age requirement being lowered, mostly because of Qrow’s kids showing the world what they were capable of, most still didn’t graduate into a huntsman so young. This kids was a rarity, so Qrow wanted to be sure he could handle the paperwork, the most difficult and boring part of the job in Qrow’s opinion.

“Yeah, I don't mind. You two did all the heavy lifting, it’s the least I could do. Besides, you should go home and rest and make sure that he recovers his aura.” the archer said, pointing at Clover. 

“Can't argue with that logic.” Clover said, shrugging.

“... And, if you have the time, could you, maybe sign an autograph for me, Mr. Branwen?” the kid asked. Qrow gave a light hearted laugh.

“Of course kid. And you know, that was a pretty strong shot back there. Pretty accurate too.” Clover could see the young huntsman’s face light up as Qrow praised his handiwork. On their ride back, they both talked with the kid, sharing a few tips they learned from their experience, as well as a bit of life advice. It almost reminded Clover of back when they were all traveling together. He always liked seeing this side of Qrow. It was adorable, no matter how much Qrow protested that he was not adorable.

  
  


-

As Clover peered up the staircase, he realized that he felt way too sore to climb up them.

“Qrow, can you carry me up?” he asked. Qrow contemplated it for a moment.

“Only if you join me in the shower.” He lifted Clover up to carry him bridal style, Clover resting his head on Qrow’s shoulder.

“No s─” 

“No sex, I know. I’m too tired too. The sooner we get done showering, the sooner we can fall asleep together.”

“Mmm, I like the way you think, Mr. Branwen.” Clover said as he leaned his head into Qrow’s shoulder, bouquet of flowers in his lap. 

“I’m just a simple man with simple pleasures, Ebi.” Qrow set Clover down, much to their dismay, and unlocked the door. They quickly made their way to the shower and undressed. They took their time under the hot water, letting it wash away the dirt and any aches in their muscles. They helped each other clean the area on their back they couldn’t reach, passed soap and shampoo between them, and even helped clean each other’s hair. Qrow had suggested it, claiming it was something he always wanted to try. Clover joked that it was his bird instincts kicking in. Regardless, Clover let him do it, of course, and was glad he did, because it felt amazing. He returned the favor and Qrow didn’t think he could ever shower alone again. Shower sex would only be a bonus now. As they got out, they couldn’t help but admire each other’s body, scars and all, toned by years of hardship that had paid off well.

Tired, they went to their bed, and spent their first night together as an official couple. They didn’t fall asleep right away. They stole a few kisses from one another and told each other their inside jokes that always made them laugh. 

“Good night Cloves, love you.”

“Love you too Qrow. Love you a lot.”

With that, they fell asleep in each other’s arms. On their living room table, a vase of flowers shone in the moonlight.

**Author's Note:**

> I originally had a very different idea for this prompt and listened to the Bird Song (Diplo Remix) by M.I.A., which is honestly pretty good for this prompt with all it's bird jokes, but I'm prone to stuff with melancholic undertones, so I changed to a sadder sounding song and as a result, my idea for this prompt changed. And if you're wondering, the flower I'm referencing is the Birds of Paradise Flower, which is pretty fitting for our two love birds. Anyways, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
